Hugely first world problem but are my expectations of a housekeeper too high?

[SlightEmbarrassment]

Prefacing this that I know I’m hugely privileged to be able to afford this etc.

We recently (Feb) hired a housekeeper on a full time basis (8 hours a day Monday to Friday, £45k annual salary) to look after our new house. She’s excellent at laundry and ironing, bed making second to none, but the house is not that clean and definitely untidy. Clothes and toys and STUFF out. Not a tip but not pristine or impromptu guest ready.
Am I unreasonable in expecting dusting, cobweb cleaning, putting things away in this time? I know I could do it myself but I’m paying her (I think) a good salary so I don’t have to.
We have a biggish london house but not a mansion - 6 bedrooms over 4 floors.

Part of the problem is maybe that she’s always talking on the phone on her AirPods, which I’m sure slows her down.

She’s also consistently 15 mins late but leaves bang on time, which again isn’t a huge amount of time she’s missing but feels irritating since I’m not sure the quality of her work is fantastic. There have also been multiple occasions she’s been a lot later due to various issues (dog was sick, plumber etc) but it’s happened more often than I feel is reasonable for such things to arise.

Part of the reason we hired her is my eldest daughter has severe dust mite allergies and associated asthma and eczema so it’s key the house is as dust free as possible to avoid asthma attacks etc. but shelves/ornaments are dusty.

But am I unreasonable in expecting a totally spotless, 100% tidy house everyday for her hours?

I don’t think she is engaged in the job. She is often 15 minutes late and doesn’t make that time up. In 5 months of working for you she has already had virtually all her annual leave. Her mind is on her music / telephone calls. Cut your losses and get someone who appreciates the job and has pride in it.

It’s the first time I’ve ever hired a housekeeper as well and from responses above it sounds like expectations vary but her agreed job description is to tidy, clean, do the laundry and ironing, in theory run errands but we haven’t asked her to do any, put shopping deliveries away (she half does this but leaves anything that isn’t fresh or frozen food out for me to put away). I think the main difference is it’s not just cleaning and scrubbing bathrooms.

The thing is if she has to spend time clearing away your 'stuff' that's time away from being able to clean. So the amount of detritus she has to deal with before she even starts cleaning is relevant.

Point taken but she’s not putting away the ‘stuff’. That’s one of my complaints (which I’ve raised before and it got better temporarily).

I wonder if she’s used to being a “house manager” rather than a cleaner? I wouldn’t generally expect a housekeeper to clean so much. I would expect them to manage any other staff, manage appointments inc deliveries, put flowers out, set table, manage the laundry, light cleaning but not heavy cleaning/the amount of cleaning you are expecting!

I think you really need a cleaner/housekeeper or a couple of cleaners for what you are looking for & I agree, for less hours a day when they can really focus!

This does not sound like a family of slobs though! Can’t imagine clearing away stuff from the night before would ever take more than an hour and realistically should take much less than that

I don’t think we are. Our house is not showhome/empty of any stuff out on surfaces but equally I wouldn’t be embarrassed for someone to pop in unexpectedly. No dirty dishes or anything around.

I'd expect much bette especially for that salary - that's very generous for unskilled work. I'm sure you could pay someone 30k to do a much better job than her

If cleaning and tidying is in her job description she should clean and tidy.
If she’s on the phone all the time then she’s not doing her job. There are breaks for that.
It doesn’t sound like she’s very good at her job.
Id get another housekeeper.

What about eg hotel cleaners who vacuum and change sheets all day full time?

OP,

Absolutely making a fool out of you.

I wouldn't bother trying to get a decent day out of her, start recruiting someone new.

Her being on the phone means she is not concentrating and doing a half arsed job.

I know this because I see it with my children when they are asked to do something!

She should not be spending her working hours chatting to friends.

You need to type out a job description with it spelt out clearly that the house needs to be kept up properly and at visitor ready standard, not difficult IMO with those hours.

Not unreasonable to expect for £45k

The fact that she is a house-keeper is neither here nor there. The actual job is irrelevant.

The point is, that she’s not doing the job to the standard you made clear when advertising - and interviewing - for the job.

Isn’t it just a case of, she’s not what you’re looking for? Annoying, but I would admit defeat on this one, and look for someone new.

You’re paying a fair salary for a fair day’s work.

My cleaner comes twice a week for 2 1/2-3 hours a time, and cleans it all, cleans fridge, appliances, dusts everything, does shopping errands, laundry (but I don't iron anything!) She also organizes/cleans out the kitchen cupboards, hangs up clothes, feeds the cat, puts the bins out, waters plants, in other words, is a substitute SAHP for the time that she's here (bar the childcare).

Our house is three beds so double that time, you need someone for 3-4 hours a day and even then you could still get them to do shopping (she should have a system of organizing the stuff, not just leave it out for you) and laundry.

She is not doing a good job, this type of home help/living assistant post is common for older people as well and lots of people offer it in our area. It's a cleaner plus, not just a cleaner.

This is supposed to make things less stressful!

One difference is though that at the start of every session, the cleaner checks in and discusses anything and offers ideas, she does have her music on and sometimes chats on her headset, this doesn't appear to stop her doing an amazing job!

From the other side - I have a cleaning company and I work 8 hours per day 5 days a week - then have paperwork etc when I am home……I can do 3/4 houses in this time (albeit nowhere near this size described) but the time the housekeeper has is more than sufficient to keep it spotless.

Give her notice, use an agency and have a detailed description of what needs to be done.

Same as @doingthehokeykokey. Cleaner does 7 hours, DH and Indona bit less.

@SlightEmbarrassment she's taking the piss. A friend had a similar arrangement with a nanny/housekeeper when her dc were 5/7 for about 7 years but she did school runs, all dc stuff, all laundry, organised food shopping, cooked for the children, did their packed lunches, had other dc to tea and ferried to and from activities. She covered school hols but there was a cleaner too.

I have never been in a position to have staff at this level, but I think the issue is that no-one can do the hard physical labour of active cleaning for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, it would be too gruelling.

This ^^ is just bizarre. People do far more physical jobs like this all the time.

If you don’t want to do a physical job, that’s fine, don’t do one. But to suggest the job the OP’s housekeeper has taken on is ‘too gruelling’ is just weird.

The thing is if she has to spend time clearing away your 'stuff' that's time away from being able to clean. So the amount of detritus she has to deal with before she even starts cleaning is relevant.

She's working 40 hours a week. More than enough time to clear away 'stuff' AND clean. One child and and adult would literally be having to be throwing a new thing on the floor for 8 hours a day for that to be in any way relevant.

Yanbu. She's getting paid a decent salary and not putting the work in. Id look for someone else.

I think having a full time housekeeper who isn’t quite up to scratch, in a house that must be worth over £3 million, is the very definition of a first world problem!!

It’s not quite the same as working parents in a 3-bed semi having a cleaner for 2 hours a week!

What you’re all saying resonates. I’ll give her one more shot after a chat but it does sound like we want someone with more self motivation and probably for fewer hours

You've already spoken to her though and things haven't improved.

Any employee who is performing this poorly in the first few months is only going to get worse.

I just wanted to say you sound a very lovely person op, and your expectations are not unreasonable in the slightest.

I don't think you should have to write detailed lists of jobs that need doing and when while paying that salary.

As evidenced by what other posters have said, there must be many a capable person who would love to have this job, and do it brilliantly.

Some of the chippy responses on here are so tedious.

Oh for gods sake. Family of slobs can be sorted out with a FT job. Honestly OP this woman is not working. Don't get side tracked with the 'tell her this', 'proportion that'. She's there all week it;s a SAHM job and she ain't doing it

There’s some nuts replies on this thread….calling keeping house a gruelling job? Thinking having to put away “stuff” is a 40 hour a week job ?
id get rid OP. You’re paying fair and she’s taking the piss What